Oberlin vs. Kenyon vs. Denison vs. Miami

Should I go to Oberlin College or Kenyon College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Oberlin or Kenyon is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Oberlin College vs. Kenyon College vs. Denison University vs. Miami University comparison
Oberlin College Kenyon College Denison University Miami University
Oberlin College Kenyon College Denison University Miami University
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Overview

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Location Oberlin, OH Gambier, OH Granville, OH Oxford, OH
Setting Midsize Suburban Distant Rural Rural Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 2,976 2,184 2,405 18,618
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #59 #98 #284
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website oberlin.edu kenyon.edu denison.edu muohio.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Tuition (In State) $63,700 $69,030 $64,000 $14,635
Tuition (Out of State) $63,700 $69,030 $64,000 $36,851
Room & Board $18,942 $14,410 $15,400 $16,714
Avg Net Price $50,484 $44,470 $42,177 $27,928
Avg Grant Aid $33,746 $39,330 $34,723 $12,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 83% 95% 95%

Admission

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Applied 11,039 8,218 14,580 34,498
Admitted 3,641 2,524 2,468 28,319
Acceptance Rate 33% 30.7% 16.9% 194.2%
Enrolled % 21.4% 18% 25.8% 159.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.84 3.76 3.85
Typical High School Grades B+ A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High High Very High
ACT Range 30/33 31/34 29/32 26/31
SAT Range 1370/1510 1360/1500 1300/1470 1210/1380
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (26%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • English and Literature (17%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (177%)
  • Social Sciences (71%)
  • Education (61%)
  • Biology (47%)
  • Health Professions (42%)

Outcomes

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Graduation Rate 88% 87% 79% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $52,900 $56,100 $54,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 87% 83% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,579 $19,000 $26,000 $24,750
Median Loan Payment $274 $196 $268 $255

Diversity

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
% Men 0% 7% 0% 3%
% Women 0% 12% 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Low Medium Low
HBCU No No No No
% White 68% 73% 66% 77%
% Black 5% 4% 7% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 7% 10% 4%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4% 4% 3%
% International 8% 5% 8% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 3% 2% 0%

Students

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
% In-State 6% 12% 21% 63%
% Out-of-State 84% 67% 65% 36%

Campus

Oberlin Kenyon Denison Miami
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility No No No Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Oberlin College is larger than than Kenyon based on total student enrollment (2,976 students vs. 2,184 students)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Oberlin or Kenyon?

  • Kenyon College is 8.4% more expensive to attend than Oberlin for in-state tuition ($69,030.00 vs. $63,700.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.4% higher at Kenyon than Oberlin College ($69,030.00 vs. $63,700.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Kenyon College than Oberlin ($44,470 vs. $50,484)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kenyon College are 31.5% lower than costs at Oberlin College ($14,410 vs. $18,942)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Oberlin College than Kenyon College (99% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kenyon College students is 16.5% larger than aid received Oberlin College ($39,330 vs. $33,746)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Oberlin or Kenyon? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Kenyon or Oberlin .

  • The average SAT score at Oberlin College (1357) is 22 points higher than at Kenyon (1335)
  • Incoming Oberlin students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Kenyon (30)
  • Accepted freshman Kenyon students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at Oberlin (3.67)
  • Oberlin has a higher acceptance rate (33%) than Kenyon (30.7%)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Oberlin or Kenyon? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Kenyon and Oberlin.

  • The graduation rate at Oberlin is higher than Kenyon College (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Kenyon College earn on average $9,000 more per year than Oberlin graduates after ten years. ($52,900 vs. $43,900)
  • Kenyon College students graduate with a $7,579 lower median federal student loan debt than Oberlin graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,579)
  • Kenyon graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than Oberlin graduates. ($196 vs. $274)
  • More Kenyon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Oberlin students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/